dents of divinity! Many of you, through divine grace, have enjoyed the privilege of possessing pious parents.... But how soon do we often think ourselves wiser than our parents!....I am of opinion, that many a student succeeds neither in his studies nor in any thing else, from no other cause than because he has no real filial reverence for his parents, because their word is of little value in his estimation, or because he even hypocritically affects piety in their presence, gives them false information respecting his progress, wastes what they have earned by the sweat of their brow, deceives them continually, causes them needless expense, and by a variety of misconduct, draws from them many a sigh and tear, which return upon him ten-fold, and altogether prevent the divine blessing.

"How many depend upon succeeding in a godly life and walk, when once they enter into office; and think that meanwhile, their youthful years may be spent in worldly lusts. But alas! experience teaches how rarely this is the case, and how gladly the individual would afterward continue the manner of life he pursued when a student..... But a student's life, such as is led by the majority, even of those who call themselves tudents of divinity, is a truly heathenish, nay even devilish life, and nothing is more opposed to the laws of Christ, than the rules and maxims they have amongst themselves; and he that is termed the most rational student, is often the very worst Christian.

"Now he that is desirous of studying in a manner acceptable to God, especially as respects the study of divinity, must completely renounce and forsake the common life of a student, and instead of their rules

and maxims, place before him the laws of Christ; and be not concerned at being despised, laughed at, and ridiculed in consequence of so doing. He that is not willing to do this, ought to give up the study of divinity, or he will eventually not serve God but Satan, and receive with the latter a similar reward.

"Timothy knew from a child the Holy Scriptures.' (2 Tim. iii. 15.) This has reference to all, but especially to you who are students of divinity. Are there not perhaps, even many, who have never read the Holy Scriptures through, in their whole lives, much less with consideration and reflection? Whence comes it? In schools, more concern is manifested about all kinds of heathenish books, than about the precious word of God. Even if an hour, to avoid the reproofs of conscience, is devoted to the New Testament, yet it is more for the sake of outward knowledge, and of the language, (which are proper in their place) than to instruct the young in the pure principles of true religion. Even if teachers see this to be a fault, and would gladly amend it, they are unable to accomplish it. Hence heathenish things continue to be the chief object of attention in schools, and the word of God a secondary matter. Hence most of those who come from school are ignorant how to deal with the word of God; to say nothing of their not having ascertained from it, with all diligence, the ground of their salvation. As long as these abominations are not put away—I mean, as long as the tender minds of the young are instructed in the Holy Scriptures with such coldness, and value is attached solely to heathen learning-there will be no young Timothies, who, from their childhood up, have known the Holy Scriptures.

"But is the fault of the lower schools amended in the higher? By no means. Experience teaches that a hundred other lectures are read sooner than one edifying discourse upon the Holy Scriptures.... Consider, therefore, ye students of divinity, what it is, which you subsequently intend to teach the people -the word of God, or the word of man? But if you are to teach the former and not the latter, why is the precious word of God so lightly esteemed by you? Why do you study any other book rather than the Holy Scriptures?.... Follow the example of Timothy, and let the precious and revealed word of God be your chief concern, your constant occupation, your study and meditation, and disregard everything else; except in so far as it contributes towards enabling you the better to study the word of God.

"If you follow this advice, you will succeed in the whole of your theological studies; if not, you will be compelled to begin afresh, however long you may have studied. Nor will you find any sure basis for all your knowledge, until you learn to disregard everything else in comparison with the word of God.

"Timothy did not read the Holy Scriptures for the sake of mere outward knowledge, but that he might learn from them the way of salvation....Look at yourselves in this respect, and examine yourselves, how far you obey the admonition of Paul, and follow the example of Timothy. If it is the case that one and another perceives the necessity of studying the Holy Scriptures in preference to every other book, still the chief thing is generally wanting.... Knowledge indeed is sought, but not a good conscience. And where is the wonder? Are there not

even theologians, who make no scruple of openly professing to the world, that their vocation is not to make the students pious, but to make them learned?.... How very few there are amongst the students of divinity, who really study the word of God, to the end that they may govern their lives in all things according to it!....Do you daily read something in the Holy Scriptures for the purpose of self-examination, of strengthening your faith in God, of edifying yourselves in the love of God and your neighbour, of preparing yourselves for a happy death, of more heartily renouncing the world and its lusts, of praising God for his sacred truth, and of increasing in all the fruits of the Spirit? If not-what kind of Christians are you to say nothing of Students of divinity?.... Know you not, that if your reading the bible and all your other studies are not for the purpose of daily attaining by this means a more believing and pious heart-you are still no real students of divinity, since you do not suffer yourselves to be taught and governed by God and his Spirit; but however much knowledge you may accumulate, it is nothing more than a mere natural work, and so to speak, a theological spectre, which in the end will avail you nothing, but may make you into arrogant Scribes and Pharisees.

"There were, indeed, in the times of the Apostles, many who adhered to Paul; but Timothy had a preference above the rest. (Phil. ii. 20, 21.) Thus we occasionally find a student of divinity, of whom indeed nothing evil can be said, and who even shews symptoms of that which is good-for instance, he attends closely to his studies, avoids profligate society, and conducts himself in other respects in such

a manner as that no one can accuse him of anything improper. But certainly, were it to come to a strict examination, there would very few Timothies be found, even amongst those who are called pious students. Alas! the word of God is mostly received with a rude and unbroken heart, and there are very few that will give perfect room to the operation of the divine word, since the most of them imagine they have managed their matters well, when they have apprehended, in their understanding, the knowledge of the doctrines of godliness; so that they can speak upon them and blame others; making at the same time a circuit as it were about the path of repentance, since their self-love continually persuades them, that they need no such serious conversion, but are already in a good state, in a state acceptable to God. Hence the most of them continue lukewarm, selfish, uncharitable, talkative, licentious, boastful, and assume an outward appearance of godliness, but deny its real power. The very fewest of them break through the bonds of their natural state, and acquire love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned, after the example of Timothy.

"Observe this, ye students of divinity, and take heed that your piety be not hypocrisy, and that you are regarded as pious not only in the sight of men, but also search your own hearts before God, and examine whether you walk in pureness and sincerity before God.... Reflect upon what your intentions are. You wish, at some future period, to be appointed public teachers in the church of the living God. What is the reason, therefore, that you concern yourselves so little how you may walk worthily in the house of God? Are you desirous of following